Holy City Midtemple (1)
The Black Bone Sword Master grumbled as he stared out the window.
It was the top floor of a spire that pierced the heavens.
Viewed from the elegant VIP room, the Holy City looked like a painting sculpted entirely from pure white marble.
As if to add to the sacred atmosphere, a holy hymn echoed from the hallway.
"Ah, damn it. So annoying."
Whoosh!
With a sharp click of his tongue, Heukgol spun around in irritation.
Listening to the choir repeat the same monotonous melody over and over was driving him half to death with boredom.
"Hey, can't you tell that choir to shut up? It's grating on my nerves."
"I apologize, Seeker."
The priest standing in the corner of the VIP room replied politely.
"We cannot interrupt the hymn. Offering praises to the Great Ones is one of the most important morning duties here at Midtemple."
"Oh, is that so?" Heukgol sneered, his voice dripping with spite.
"But what do we do? I just received a new revelation."
"A... revelation?"
"Yeah. The Great One says your terrible voices are hurting their ears, so please shut the hell up."
The elderly priest let out a gentle laugh.
"Haha, that is indeed a pity. If our praises are lacking, then we must put even more devotion into them until the Great Ones are satisfied."
"Ugh..."
Heukgol gave up on the conversation and turned his back.
"Damn it... Stubborn old priests, the lot of them..."
"I am truly sorry to disappoint you. It is deeply regrettable that our humble hymn falls short of your Seeker's excellent musical standards."
"...Just don't talk. That's even more annoying."
Heukgol let out a deep sigh. Resting his chin in his hand, he shook his head and asked again.
"So, when the hell is this Gaon guy getting here?"
"Well..."
The priest hesitated before offering an answer.
"According to the report that just arrived, the investigation team has only just departed from the free city of Vertas."
"...What?"
Irritation flared in Heukgol's voice once more.
"They just departed? Then how much longer is it going to take? Will they even get here tonight?"
"Unlike you, great Seeker, the investigators of Midtemple travel at a slower pace, carefully examining the road ahead. Thus, it will take some time."
"Get straight to the point. Stop beating around the bush."
The priest chose his words carefully before replying.
"At the absolute earliest, it will take a week—"
"Hey!"
Heukgol shrieked, leaping up from his seat.
"Are you people out of your minds? If you were going to make me wait a whole week, why did you summon me so early?! Huh?"
"That is..."
"You could have just summoned me after he arrived! You got a guy's—no, a Death Knight's hopes up for nothing!"
The priest had no reply.
Sword Masters were notoriously temperamental. Usually, it took them months just to respond to Midtemple's summons.
Who could have predicted that the Black Bone Sword Master would arrive this quickly?
However, the priest couldn't bring himself to voice that excuse. No matter the reason, making a Seeker wait was ultimately Midtemple's fault.
"I am truly sorry. We never imagined that you would grace us with your presence so swiftly, Seeker."
"..."
"Please, in your infinite generosity, forgive our shortcomings."
With those words, the priest bowed deeply.
Heukgol stared at him, then let out a sigh and slumped back into his seat.
"Whew... Fine. I'll forgive you, so just bring that guy here as fast as possible. I'm literally dying of boredom."
The priest pondered for a moment before finally nodding.
"Very well. In that case, we shall dispatch the Sky Whale to Vertas."
"...Tsk. You should have done that in the first place."
I traveled alongside the investigators clad in grey robes. They surrounded me, keeping a steady pace.
"...?"
Step.
At that moment, Sikan Bauer, who was leading the way, came to a sudden halt.
With a slight nod, he turned to the investigators.
"New orders from above. We are to change our route to the Holy City."
Sikan Bauer veered off the path, and the investigators silently followed.
Before long, we passed through the gates of the free city of Vertas and stepped out into the uncharted wilderness.
An endless wasteland stretched out before us. Under the blazing sun, Sikan Bauer turned to look at me.
"Do you see that boulder over there?" Sikan pointed toward a massive rock in the distance.
"Once we reach that point, we will arrive at Midtemple in no time."
Ah.
I thought we were walking, but they plan to use that to travel?
Adelia tilted her head in confusion.
"Huh? What do you mean by that, Sir Bauer?"
She continued, looking thoroughly bewildered. "Isn't the Holy City still a long way off? Besides, that boulder is in the complete opposite direction..."
"You will understand once we reach the boulder, my lady."
"...?"
Sikan Bauer didn't elaborate further. He simply chuckled and looked away.
Adelia turned to me, her face a mask of incomprehension. "Do you happen to understand what he means, Sir Gaon?"
"I do."
But I didn't bother explaining it to her.
"U-Usually, when people understand, don't they offer an explanation...?"
"They do."
"..."
Yet, I still didn't add anything. I wanted to see her reaction when she witnessed that firsthand.
"You'll see once we get to the boulder."
"..."
I repeated the exact same answer Sikan Bauer had given. Adelia pouted, but I ignored her.
Even as we traversed the parched wasteland, the investigators maintained their formation.
Under the scorching sun, we walked for another thirty minutes before finally reaching our destination.
"Please wait a moment."
Sikan Bauer reached into his robes and pulled something out. It was a whistle carved from white bone.
Taking a deep breath, he pressed the whistle to his lips.
Wheeeeeeet!
A shrill sound pierced the air, echoing across the wasteland.
As the sound reached the heavens, clouds began to gather.
Kwooooooo—!
A roar shook the heavens and the earth. It was a bizarre cry, like a mixture of a whale's call and rumbling thunder.
Even I couldn't help but feel a sense of awe. A massive shadow was descending, parting the clouds.
Soon, a spectacle far grander than anything I had seen on a monitor unfolded before my eyes.
Its body, covered in pure white scales, shimmered like a rainbow under the sunlight. Fins as translucent as moonlight sliced through the air, leaving trails of blue light in their wake.
The sight of the spiritual beast swimming through the sky as if it were an ocean was sublime beyond words.
I quietly muttered the creature's name in my mind.
...The Sky Whale.
Also known as the Heavenly Whale. Like the Heavenly Dragon Bird, it was one of the twelve Divine Beasts chosen by the Great Elder.
And in a world hurtling toward destruction, even as the other Divine Beasts fell to corruption one by one, it was the guardian that remained by humanity's side until the very end.
"Wow..."
Adelia stared at the whale, completely spellbound. Even as a member of a Holy Family, she seemed utterly speechless in the face of the Sky Whale's majesty.
The reactions of the other investigators were not much different.
By the way...
At that moment, a sudden question crossed my mind.
...Why did Midtemple send the Sky Whale?
There were too many anomalies.
First of all, Midtemple had no reason to dispatch the Sky Whale for someone whose status as a Sword Master wasn't even confirmed yet.
Especially when I was suspected of slaying the Heavenly Dragon Bird.
Did someone apply pressure?
But attributing it to mere pressure from "someone" didn't sit right.
The Sky Whale was a Divine Beast that symbolized Midtemple itself. Moving such a spiritual creature required immense authority.
And it's also strange that they're moving in such a hurry.
Like any religious institution, Midtemple was famous for its complex and cautious procedures.
So, sending the Sky Whale out of the blue to fetch me made no sense.
Judging by Sikan Bauer's reaction earlier, the decision to deploy the Sky Whale seemed to have been made on a whim.
Let's see...
I retraced my steps through the clues.
First, Midtemple needed a justifiable reason to send the Sky Whale.
Second, that reason had to be grounded in religious authority or tradition.
Third, there had to be an urgency that prompted an unusually swift decision.
...Ah.
Soon, a hypothesis formed.
A Sword Master must have already arrived.
The "Trial" of a Sword Master was one of the most crucial rituals in identifying a Seeker.
But what if a Sword Master who arrived before me demanded to expedite the trial?
Midtemple wouldn't dare ignore such a request.
In that case, who is my opponent?
There were only a few candidates.
First, they had to be someone among the twelve Sword Masters who maintained a decent relationship with Midtemple.
At the same time, they needed to be influential enough to push their agenda, and impatient enough to not tolerate waiting even a single week.
It didn't take long for me to deduce the identity.
...The Black Bone Sword Master.
Yes. It was definitely him.
A smirk played on my lips as a dry chuckle escaped me.
Heukgol was considered one of the worst opponents to face among the Sword Masters.
Not only was he impossible to kill by conventional means, but he was also possessed of a relentless tenacity, dogging whatever caught his interest to the bitter end.
However...
...He's the perfect opponent for me right now.
Hadn't I been saying all along? I needed to prepare for that crazy Sword Master as soon as possible.
Indeed. That guy was Heukgol.
And since I had already acquired the title [Immortal Slayer], I was fully prepared to face him.
Things are going way too smoothly.
As I was lost in thought, Sikan spoke.
"Let us board, Sir Gaon."
Clatter!
Along with Sikan Bauer's voice, a golden ladder descended from the sky, leading up to the back of the Sky Whale.
I gave a brief nod and began to climb.
From here on, the whale swimming through the wind and clouds would carry us to Midtemple.
"..."
Kwooooooo—!
In the distance, the colossal whale could be seen soaring through the clouds.
Sitting atop a peak far away, a man watching the spectacle couldn't help but wear a look of utter confusion.
What is going on, seriously?
Isaac Berylof massaged his temples. He felt a throbbing headache coming on.
The Sky Whale was a Divine Beast dispatched by Midtemple only to welcome their most esteemed guests.
Considering the last recorded use of the Sky Whale was over thirty years ago, it was proof enough that Gaon was no ordinary individual.
And yet...
—You must already be well aware that I killed the Heavenly Dragon Bird.
—...
—Arrange a meeting with the Empress. I will help your society achieve what it truly desires.
...A powerhouse of this caliber wanted to help the Shadow Society?
Even while Midtemple was hunting them down with bloodshot eyes?
The current situation defied all logic.
He certainly didn't seem to be lying...
To make matters worse, the confusion didn't end there.
And why on earth is Midtemple sending the Sky Whale for someone who killed a Divine Beast?
His thoughts spun in endless circles. He couldn't even begin to fathom what was happening.
After agonizing over it for a long time, Isaac had no choice but to reach a conclusion.
This is beyond my pay grade.
For now, he would arrange the meeting with the Crimson Empress as Gaon had requested.
She would know how to handle this situation wisely.
Tring!
The laws of causality are warping.
The encounter with the Crimson Empress has been expedited.